Batty About Fahrenheit 451 - The Movie

from IMDB

This week Kathy and I decided to watch the movie version of Fahrenheit 451 and chat about that. It seemed like a fun thing to do. I often have my students watch some or all of a movie adaptation of the books we read. We've watched Wrinkle in Time, the animated Hobbit, the NIMH movie, and Patrick Stewart's version of Christmas Carol. Their most common complaint is about how the movie is just not what they imagined from the book. So, let's take a look at what we thought about how well this adaptation (from 1966) compared to the book we adored last week. 


As always, my thoughts are in purple with Kathy's in blue. Her blog - The Brain Lair - hosts her thoughts with my responses. Check it out, and chime in. Don't forget to read our post from last week where we have a rich discussion about the book itself!



Well. I’m just not even sure where to start with this one. I guess when you love a book so very much it’s often hard to see a movie adaptation of it. (Though the Narnia and Middle Earth movies were - overall - pretty darned good).

I’m going to start with some “nit picky” issues, and then dive into what I felt were the main reasons I didn’t like the movie.

Nitpick #1 - the music. Yes, I know that the music was typical for the time in which this movie was created. I still hated it.

Nitpick #2 - the lack of a “futuristic” feel. Okay, I get that this movie was created in the 60s. But Bradbury clearly describes the WALLS of televisions in the house. What does she have? A single screen that looks only slightly more futuristic than the small one in their bedroom? Even though the movie was created so long ago, I still think they could have done a better job with this - based solely on the descriptions Bradbury uses in the book.
Kathy: Agreed! - I mentioned this too! They were able to green screen the flying policemen but they couldn’t green screen a wall-sized television? Also, it was a big deal to Mildred that they be able to get a fourth wall in the book. In the movie, Linda did NOT seem to care as much about getting a second screen, possibly because they had so many already.

Nitpick #3 - Apparently “comics” don’t count as reading? His newspaper looked like a set of comic strips - granted they had no words.
Kathy: I know. What was the purpose of that? Was it because it was only pictures? Was it  gov’t propaganda? That scene had no reasoning behind it!

Nitpick #4 (though this one is also true of the book, but just occurred to me while watching the movie) In a world where NO ONE is allowed to read - how does everyone know HOW to read?
Kathy: Haha! Also, how would people know what to say when there names were included in the wall plays? Of course, there were books before so at some point they’d learned to read. I would imagine that those people who had books taught the younger generations to read.  They just didn’t do it anymore. In the book version, Montag struggled to understand the meaning behind the books he’d stolen, so he must have know how at some point.  Though, the firemen were supposed to have been established a long time ago. Kinda ignoring our history in favor of what parts we want to remember?

Main Reasons:

1) Major character alterations. Clarisse was NOT the girl she was in the book. I’m not sure why they felt the need to change her age. At first I was afraid they would build in a romance with Guy - and that was the reason for that alteration - but they didn’t even go there. Bigger than that, though, was the fact that we NEVER saw her just soaking in life experiences. Talking about the grass, lifting her head to catch a raindrop - nothing. Guy also had alterations to his character. The biggest was that he didn’t already have a book hidden away when the story begins. It made his change feel too abrupt.
Kathy: This was my first problem too! Where was her lightheartedness? Her character made no sense. When she asks about him being happy - it just seems to come from nowhere. Why would he risk his life to help her? There was NO development. And really, she was less attractive a character than “linda”.

2) Major plot alterations. Clarisse. She needed to die. Sorry, but really...
Kathy: Again, agreed! Her death fuel’s (pun intended) Montag’s change.  Gives him something to think about in terms of his choices. But, no, we overlook that necessity leading to just shallow people on the screen.  Also, where was Faber? Who was there to help Guy?

3) BIGGEST flaw? The complete change in the overall theme of the story. It’s like the creators of the movie talked to some high school students. The kids said the book was about burning books, so that is the focus of the film. I’m sure if I were to dig into the historical context - when the film was created - this would make perfect sense. Maybe I’m even reading too much into the book’s theme based on MY current world view. (Don’t get me started on my pet theory about how all works - historical fiction, legends, science fiction -  reveal more about the time in which they were created than the author even intends). Yet I still felt disappointed that the film stripped away this whole other layer of the story.
Kathy: I believe many people miss the point of the book. Your theory is not really a theory though. I hope people understand that their schema affects all they do. Your background, your reading, your viewing habits, your interactions with other, are all important in shaping how you think and feel. That’s what’s scary about social media. Yes - and it’s not just how YOU perceive the story - but it’s also in how the author (or screenwriter) alters the story to fit their own schema. I love to look at how things like the Arthurian stories or fairy tales change with each time period. We write our own history into the story, even in historical fiction. This is even more obvious to me as I read the Newbery award books.



One other thought - this movie could be a valuable tool in media literacy and studying the time period of the 60s. My guess is that a high school (or college) class that studied that period would find countless connections to the 60s in the movie. That would be an interesting discussion or project, don’t you think?
Kathy: You could also take a look at American culture vs French culture. Did different culture experience the 60s differently? It would also be interesting to do an indepth analysis of the choices Truffaut made.  Was this a reflection of what he’d gained from the book or the times he lived in? Have no idea how you would do this but would be interesting to talk about.

What I’d love to see is a current version of this book made into a movie. Yes, I complain that movies have lost their ability to create “new” works of art. Yet this story is SO incredibly timely I think it could be done, and done well, today.
Kathy: You mean an updated version? What it would look like today? Same basic premise but with new technologies? No - just a movie made today that attempted to honestly depict the movie. If we wait much longer, too much of it will be completely present tense. And I think we could do a much better - much more true to the book adaptation than this one.


Now it's your turn! Have you had discussions about movie adaptations? What are your favorite and least favorite adaptations? How can you use these discussions to help teach students to think critically as they read - and watch?

Using Wordle for Revision

Thank to Teachers Write's Thursday prompt suggestion, (check it out here) I took my current story and plopped the text into Wordle. A few interesting things jumped out at me.

1) I use the word "one" a lot. I need to go back through the story and see if this is indicative of poor writing choices or a growing theme in the story.

2) "Just" jumps right out at me. That's something that will require some revision.

This first image is the word cloud created by the main body of my story so far. I'm pleased with one part of it... check out the right side of the image... see it? "Just go Back".
This chunk is not quite 2000 words, so it will be interesting to see how the cloud changes as I add to the tale.

The second cloud is from the shorter piece of the story with the girls in the library.

I've seen and used Wordle before - but never as a revision tool. I'll use this with my students as they write. It's amazing what a picture of words can reveal.

Wordless Wednesday - Visitor

How building a bistro set is like writing.

Every Tuesday I post a "Slice of Life". Sometimes it is fiction, and sometimes real life. Visit Two Writing Teachers for more fabulous writing!




Okay, I know that many of you were hoping that I’d have another piece of my story done.  Honestly, so was I! While I have had a few plotting breakthrough moments (apparently my brain is wired to do my best thinking in the shower), they aren’t fleshed out enough to share. Instead, I give you the crazy way my brain works in the summer.

Behold:

“How building a bistro set is like writing.”

Having the “right tools” is helpful, but not necessary. The scrap of metal they provide is like having post it notes and a stubby pencil shoved at the bottom of your purse. It does the job – helps you complete the task – but your fingers are sore by the end.

Starting with a “big picture” guides the process. Let’s be honest here, not everyone follows the directions provided (I’m looking at you, honey). Some of us, though, require well laid out plans and diagrams. That is me; which is why you are being treated to this silly post instead of the next part of my story.

 

There’s always a part that doesn’t quite fit. Yes, that one part of the chair that you have to grunt and strain to get “close enough” so that the screws will hold it together. Then you take it apart a bit, jigger it all around, and it is sturdier after all your extra hard work. Still not perfect, mind you. But sturdier.

There are always extra pieces. Seriously, they are extra. This isn’t like when your ten year old takes apart a major appliance, puts it back together, and declares a few pieces “extra”. I even went through and checked the part list one more time. You know all the backstory you’ve written down, just to make sure you understand your characters? Yeah, it may not belong in the piece. Put it aside, stick it in a drawer, and see if it is really needed.

Pardon the weeds, that
wasn't part of the plan. 

Pride of completion. So my bistro set came “ready to assemble”, that’s not really the point. I’m fully aware that it’s not a masterpiece. Heck, it’s not even really a work of art. Yet I still gaze out my kitchen window and smile because I DID THAT. Later today, I’ll work on my actual story while sitting at that little table. I’ll feel a little zip of pride; just like I do when I ‘m writing.

It’s Monday – June 25th

It has been an incredible reading week. My highly competitive nature kicked up a notch when summer throwdown began. Thanks to Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this each week! I’ll keep it short here…

Graphic Novels / Comics

Babymouse:  I continued my quest to read them all! Love love love the geeky references!

Cupcake Tycoon               Skater Girl           Mad Scientist

Queen of the World       Dragonslayer     Monster Mash

Lunch Lady –  I read 2 - the summer camp shakedown & the bake sale bandit  Fun tales, silly stories.  Dee still annoys me a lot, though.

Flying Beaver Brothers – I read two. Evil Penguin Plan and Fishy Business. Cute and silly, but not on my favorite list.

Rapunzel’s Revenge – Loved it! I’ve always harbored a secret desire to write a story for Gothel. I found this reignited my curiosity about her character.

Early Chapter Books

Marty McGuire Digs Worms! – Messner. Wow, this was wonderful! Move it to the top of your list, pronto.  

Starring Grace – by Mary Hoffman. This one was sweet, but didn’t make me jump up and sing.

Picture Books:

Bink and Gollie – Adored this! Love these girls and the illustrations are wonderful. Is this a picture book? Really early chapter book?

Me… Jane.  – Wonderful. Very quick and easy read, but the pictures were fabulous.

Historical Fiction:

Lions of Little Rock.  Go forth and read this book – at once. Amazing characters, wonderful writing, gripping story.

Not Classifiable:

The One and Only Ivan – I started this book on Sunday afternoon and didn’t expect to finish it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down.

Science Fiction (visit my SciFi Summer post from yesterday for more details on these and the ones from last week. I give ideas on science concepts covered, historical tie ins, and the kinds of “what if” and “wonder” questions they could inspire.)

Fahrenheit 451 (Kathy and I discussed this one at length in our weekly Batty About Books posts)

The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 – I really enjoyed this one.

Black Hole Sun – This was a keeper. I kept saying, “I want to read just one more chapter” even as my eyes started to close.

Newbery:

Daniel Boone – YAWN. Read like a high school paper on Boone instead of the exciting story it could have been. Unlike Black Hole Sun, I kept saying, “come on, Maria… you can make it through… just one more chapter and you can take a break.”

SciFi Summer Update

Why Sci Fi?
Build curious, critical thinkers.

My three month mission – to explore fabulous new titles, seek out new authors and new must read recommendations, to boldly go where I haven’t gone before. Oh, and to reread some old favorites along the way.  I know many of you are dying to know what I’ve found, so this update includes the first few weeks of my Sci Fi Summer reading.

First Light – Rebecca Stead

Two storylines collide as a boy visits Greenland with his parents on a scientific expedition and a girl longs to explore the "wider world" and leave the confines of her village below the ice. 

I really enjoyed this story, though I would classify it as more adventure and less science fiction. The one thing that disappointed me was that she didn't expand more on the science fiction aspect. I REALLY wanted more to the mitochondrial DNA aspect of the tale, and how that plays out. 

This is my second Stead book, and I can see the fingerprints of L'Engle on her storylines. Don't get me wrong, I really do like that! This book would be a fabulous partner novel with either Wind in the Door (L'Engle, and also deals with mitochondria) or City of Ember.

Age level: The plot was appropriate for middle grades on up, and the scientific concepts weren’t overly challenging. I would have no qualms handing this book to strong upper elementary students.

Science Concepts: Global warming, genetic diversity, biology

Wonders and What Ifs?: How could humanity survive in a hostile climate? What possible powers lie within us?

Historical Tie-ins: witch hunts and persecutions of “different” groups.

Narrator/Main Character: Told from the dual viewpoints of a girl and a boy.

The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1 – by P.J. Haarsma

All the adults perish on a trip to another world. Their children, embryos at the start of the voyage, are brought to life by the ship’s computer and nurtured on the way to the new world. When they arrive, they have to take on the debts of their parents before they can enjoy a new home.

A little bit Ender, a little bit Matrix. A whole fun adventure. 

Age level: I would call this firmly young adult. The concepts are fairly challenging, and the plot needs some reader sophistication.

Science Concepts: astronomy, space travel, computer sciences. 

Wonders and What Ifs: How will humanity change? Where can we go once we fill up our world? What would alien races be like? How could we survive the trip to another galaxy? What other types of worlds are possible?  What powers may be locked within the minds of humanity?

Historical Tie ins: Slavery and Indentured servitude, History of computers, Ethics of bio engineering

Narrator/Main Character: Told from a male perspective.

Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill

Quite a rip-roaring adventure tale, with just a hint of romance. 

I liked this book on a lot of levels. I enjoyed the Mars setting, and the hints at the history of the terraforming that has occurred. I enjoyed the repartee between the characters, especially between the main character and AI that lives in his head. It had the science fiction as well as a western feel to the tale. Since I am a huge fan of Firefly, this worked beautifully for me. It had just the right amount of "new words" sprinkled in to build the world for me, but not so many that it ended up becoming confusing. I also enjoyed the creative swearing (author created swear words serve many purposes - world building and also keeping the language more PG-13)

Age levels: This is a young adult novel. There is violence and romance, with some innuendo.

Science concepts: Living on other planets. Alien life forms. Technology, especially in battle gear. Bioengineering and genetic manipulation.

Wonders and What Ifs:
When is it acceptable to alter life genetically? What are the possible consequences?
What kinds of governments work well in harsh environments? What are the drawbacks?

Historical Tie-ins:
Concepts of honor among warriors (Japanese Samurai, rules of warfare in modern ages, knighthood)
Class differences and conflicts

Narrator/Main Character: Told from a male perspective, though the AI in his head is female.

Old Man’s War

The elderly are recruited to fight to protect human colonization efforts on other planets. They are promised a new lease on life – a new vitality and health – but they must leave the earth and cut off all ties with their former lives forever.

I absolutely loved this book, but it is for an adult audience. I would consider late high school or college, but the story really hangs on the reader understanding how it feels to get old. There is also considerable mature content in terms of language used, violence levels, and sexual themes. There are more books in the series, including one that is designed to be young adult. I intend to find and read that one to see if it could stand alone for younger audiences.

I have also reread two classics since summer began.

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury. Check out my extensivediscussion with Kathy (aka The Brain Lair) on my blog. There is a reason this is a masterpiece, and it has stood the test of time.

I, Robot – Isaac Asimov. Love this - it's a collection of short stories but they all flow together into a larger whole.  While this book was originally written for an adult audience, there was nothing I would deem inappropriate for the young adult crowd. For students who are interested in robotics or artificial intelligence, it is a must read.

Batty about Fahrenheit 451

Batty About Books! 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Check out my related
posts on science fiction
and my SciFiSummer!

It's Friday (okay, so Friday is almost over, but close enough). Kathy and I chose to read a classic, and we decided to devour it in a single week. Since I'm targeting science fiction this summer, we chose to reread a classic we've both read in the past - Fahrenheit 451 - as a homage to the incredibly talented Ray Bradbury.


The discussion was especially rich this week. I'd encourage you to read both my post (with my thoughts and Kathy's responses) and her post on The Brain Lair. She had some amazing thoughts about this book! Please let us know in the comments any other feedback you have on this book, or on how science fiction can be used to open the eyes of students to the world of today. 


We had a lot to say... my thoughts are in purple and Kathy's responses are in blue. 

Fahrenheit 451

First, I’d like to state for the record that it’s clearly been a long time since I read this book. I had a general memory of the tale – broad sweeps of plot and character – but I was still able to read it fairly “fresh”.  That was fun. I had questions, guesses, and reactions to the story the whole way through that felt almost like I was new reader.
Kathy: According to Goodreads, I read it three years ago.  It is so filled with nuances and information, you can’t remember it all. It was a refreshing read and a nice remove from my usual fare. Also, most of what I will say here is just me rambling emotionally. This book gets inside of you!

Bradbury as prophet: I found myself in awe many times as I was reading, thinking about how accurate so many of his predictions seem now. The seashells and communication device are just like our earbuds and the kind of tools the FBI uses. The televisions that surrounded them seem like our large screens. The “reality” shows she watches, the overstimulation and trouble sleeping, the fast paced lifestyle and ever present advertising – it all seems like it is either now or right around the corner. Chilling.
Kathy: NOW! Definitely. With Facebook selling more advertising so that when you are there you get “custom” ads.  These ads are geared to what you “like”.  That’s just like being put into one of the shows with the “family”.  He is so spot on. We have so many social media sites and so very little actual society time, it is Chilling! Montag asked Mildred if The White Clown loved her and she couldn’t answer. She didn’t know what the shows were about. But the noise and the music made her think she’d experienced something... Yes! As an introvert who needs a lot of quiet and low stimulation, I found his description of the intense barrage of sound overwhelming. 

Bradbury as poet: I don’t know if “poet” is the right word - but I was struck over and over again by the beauty of his language. This isn’t something that I notice in many books. I can love a plot, I can attach to a character, but when an author uses metaphor and achingly beautiful words - that is when I want to chase them down and kiss them. From the very first line “It was a pleasure to burn” (which I just had to tweet as I read it) to the descriptions of the devouring fire like “symphonies of blazing” and “swarm of fireflies” to his comparisons of books as beautiful birds... wow. Just wow.
Kathy: AGREED! He can turn a phrase. But not in a way that pulls out of the story. I loved all the ways he talked about fire, burning, light, darkness, even the way he described the Hound.  Beatty was one of my favorite characters. I picture him as Ernest Borgnine. Love the revisionist history of the Fireman.

I love how he turns things on their heads. The job of fireman becoming one who sets fires. The idea that the lack of agreement in books is what caused our anxiety - we can’t know what is right so clearly we need to burn it all. Again, it sounds so much like what is happening these days with the battle between science and faith. (For the record, I believe that science and faith can be reconciled, but that we just don’t know how or where they exactly fit together yet).
Kathy: I hate that we give up so easily and choose a “side”.  Like you, I think they both fit. We just don’t know how.  The thing that keeps the battles raging is our lack of information. Burning the books, or just teaching evolution or creationism, keeps students in the dark. Unless, like Clarisse or Montag, they have someone come along and “spark” an interest that leads them to digging deeper. They read all the documents. They make informed conclusions. Why aren’t schools doing more of that? What are we afraid of? Being wrong? Why do we continue to ban books? And not just about this, but about other areas. And with the lack of resources available in schools, for some students, they will continue being ignorant. They don’t have a place to go to get information. Here is yet another reason why science fiction can spark wonderful discussion. It’s not just a good story, it’s a way to debate things about our OWN society by looking at another one. Love it!

I love how he contrasts the devouring fire to the “gently flattering light” of a candle. Then he goes back to fire one more time at the end, when he sees the flames and warming and comforting.
Kathy: SAME! I mentioned about the fires in the beginning but I forgot about Montag learning that fire can be used to give! That it even has a different smell based on purpose. Bradbury = genius in his simplicity.

I swear, I’ll get to his ideas on books in just a moment... first, I’d like to compare his conception of robots to the Asimov I read last week. In I, Robot Asimov describes the way robots are created to be helpers - with the three laws of robotics built into every system. Even when robots have a problem, they can be trusted to obey those laws completely. Bradbury sees humanity with darker motives - and their creations follow that same pattern. The Hound is designed purely for destruction. Montag knows that it is the fault of the masters, “all we put into it is hunting and finding and killing. What a shame if that’s all it can ever know.” Guy would much prefer Asimov’s future, I’m sure.
Kathy:  But what about Clarisse and her family? What about Montag (why does his wife call him that?)? What about Faber and the men we meet by the river? Maybe we put our “hunting finding and killing” into our creations to keep it out of our own systems.  Even though the robots have those laws, they can be worked around. Bradbury accepts who we are and tries to help us see that. While I think Asimov also sees our darker sides because he knows we won’t help each other, so another race had to be created. We couldn’t be trusted to care for each other.  Bradbury says we need to connect with each other, that’s how society will be better. Not bringing in robots or “the family”. Really connect with each other. Learn from each other. Talk. Read. Touch. Montag (or I) can get behind a future where that happens. Good points. I think Asimov wanted to reassure the world that robots wouldn't have to take over the world. *grins* Bradbury’s points about simple joys - experiences - and connecting with real people are vital to the future of humanity... helping us KEEP our humanity. I agree.

Okay - back to books. After all, that’s a key theme of the story, right? Not really, but books do become a symbol for a key idea - living life to the fullest. I love (and didn't remember) this idea. It isn’t the book itself. Books give us a way to see places, have experiences, and meet people that our short lives wouldn't otherwise give us exposure to. But it is the living, the experiencing, that is the goal. Clarisse is the human embodiment of this ideal. She strikes me as much younger than the “seventeen, and insane” that Bradbury claims. Maybe that’s why she seems insane, right? She’s much too busy living to be sucked into the constant clamor of her world.
Kathy: I’d forgotten that it wasn't the books that were important too. Though I read Clarisse as OLDER. Her questions and comments seemed designed to get a reaction from Montag. She was waiting for him. To help him. I found her calculating - in a good way. He had to think about someone other than himself. She “saw” him. He craved that. We all do. But, her insane is exactly how I hope to be and what I think Bradbury would want from us. Why do you think he made her seventeen? Because they still believe they are immortal? She was way too young for Montag.  Is that why? So we wouldn’t have to worry about adultery clouding the works? I like that! Yes, I think that is a great reason why he makes her 17. That and teenagers ARE insane. *chuckles*

I love that Bradbury ends with hope. No matter how bad things become, there are always monks holding onto the knowledge in the hopes that the next age will want - will need - what we have learned.
Kathy: I asked that question in my responses: who is the keeper of knowledge? Now I know.

There is a reason this is a classic. This book needs to be on the list of must reads for science fiction fans. I remember adoring it as a high school student - but something tells me that I didn’t suck all the marrow from the bones. I hope that people who did read this as students will take the time to read it again. Then, I hope they will turn off the television, go outside to catch a raindrop on their tongue, and help prove that we know better than to create a future like this.
Kathy: Unfortunately it’s read in 9th grade “regular” classes. Or should I say “taught”. Two of the girls I took to the beach almost threw up when they saw me reading it today. They hated it. They didn’t understand it. They couldn’t understand how I could read it for fun. I think if it’s used in high schools, it should be read in its entirety first! Then let the discussion be open before we revisit it for lessons. Too often schools take the classics and further turn students off to reading. Students feel that classics are just for learning our lessons. Not for enjoyment. One of the guys at the river reiterates that we shouldn’t become self-important. That the knowledge is more important than the carrier. I think we forget that, and we want them to see what we like about the book (sometimes I can’t tell if teachers actually like the book they are teaching. Or if they’ve read it just to read it) so we underline every metaphor and simile. We ferret out all the imagery. We turn the book into parts. We miss the story. We miss the hope - or it becomes just another theme to uncover and write about. Too often I see this. One girl only reads Twilight Saga. Over and over and over. First book she read that wasn’t preachy. Now afraid to read anything else. Of course, she’s of the mindset if the book isn’t knocking your socks off in the first two or three pages, why continue...so. Anyway. I think it should be read. Maybe paired with another book on censorship - which is what they were told it’s about - then compared. Or something. I don’t know. In some ways, students are so young nowadays. Even though they have all this information at their fingertips. All this news. And these videos. And everyone’s every thought and action. Transparency. But no way to understand it. Gah! Must.Stop. Depressing self! Ok, must end on high note. My book had an Afterword and a Coda and a Conversation with Bradbury. Lots of good reading. In the conversation Bradbury is asked about his favorite genre and he replies “I love everything!” He also says he had a great life. And that the best thing teachers can do is hand students a book. My life motto. 

You said it, my friend. Life life. Read. Connect.

I think Ray would be proud if that is the enduring legacy he left for us.


Did you see that Neil Gaiman had a Bradbury short story? Here is the page with the audio file of Neil reading it. http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2012/06/man-who-forgot-ray-bradbury.html (Have I ever mentioned how much I adore Neil Gaiman’s voice? Serious author crush here.)
The text version is here: http://io9.com/5918839/must-read-neil-gaimans-tribute-to-ray-bradbury It will be published in a book, but was released early as a tribute to Ray Bradbury after his death.

Next week we'll be watching the movie version and chatting about that. After that? More science fiction! What would you consider the best way to read and/or teach a classic? 

Wordless Wednesday - Protected

Old building in my town

Moments - a discovery

Teachers Write is a virtual writing camp
for teachers and librarians this summer

Join us at the Slice of Life,
hosted by Two Writing Teachers

This is a piece of the larger story I'm working on, that I've posted over the past few weeks. I'm not sure exactly where this quilt square will go in the overall order of the story, but I am pleased with the ideas within it. I will have to go back to the other pieces to tweak some things, since this story gave me some new insights into the characters of Cassandra and Meghan and how their story is unfolding. This is a first draft... I need to go back and "craft" it more... 

Today's scene is the result of beautiful serendipity. As part of Teachers Write, I wanted to write to the prompt "your character in the library". I searched a bit online to figure out what Meghan might like to read, and came across the books you'll see in the story below. This is a flashback as Meghan walks into the library she and Cassandra frequented as children. 

Arm in arm, we giggled as we entered the library.

The main branch librarian stood behind the counter with her back to the door. Stacks of books surrounded her. She wielded a little date stamper in one hand and a red pen in the other. She turned to glare at us with her a single finger across her lips. When she saw us, though, her frown turned to a smile.

“Cassandra and Meghan, what a surprise.” She murmured. She had the good grace to chuckle softly as she rolled her eyes at us. “It must be – what – eighteen hours or so since last we met?”

I smiled at her as I disentangled my arm from Cassie. She darted off toward the art books, with her sketch book and pencils ready to go. I drifted over closer to Mrs. Brumacher.

“You thought I’d like to read those Sherlock Holmes mysteries, right, Mrs. B?”

She nodded briskly and pointed toward the side wall. “Over there, my dear. D for Doyle. That’s D O Y L E. I’d recommend starting with A Study in Scarlet, as that is where he is first introduced, but choose whatever jumps out at you.”

As she turned back to her shelving duties, I caught the little grin she couldn’t quite hide. Mrs. B had been trying to “expand my horizons” for at least a year now. Out of sheer stubbornness I held out longer than I’d meant to, really. The other librarians were just thrilled that Cassie and I showed up at the library several times a week, but Mrs. Brumacher kept gently nudging me to add novels to my nonfiction stack.

I took a few moments to slide my returns into the slot. I had three books on general astronomy; one of which included stories about the constellations. My concession last week. Zeus was a real jerk, but I adored Athena and Artemis. I still had my book on the structure of the brain in my arms. I’d need to remember to renew that one today before I left.

I gazed longingly at the enormous dictionary sitting on top of the reference shelf. What I wouldn’t give for a beauty like that!

“Just a few minutes,” I whispered to myself. “I’ll grab one of those Sherlock books, and then I’ll look up my words.” Cassie would be lost in the art books for several hours, so there was no need for me to rush my own reading pleasures.

As I made my way over to the Doyle shelf, I got a whiff of old leather. A cozy armchair, with a lamp beside it. It was right under the Holmes books; like it was waiting for me. I ran my fingers over the titles until I found it. A Study in Scarlet. It seemed like a logical decision to begin at the beginning. Curled up on the leather chair, I flipped to the first page. The smell of the old book brought a smile to my face, and I dove in.

“Megs…. Megs….” I blinked and looked up. I glanced at a nearby window, where the rosy glow of sunset seeped through, and then stared blearily at the nearby clock.

“Come on, Meghan, we gotta go or my mom will kill me! We promised her we’d be home for dinner.”

I made a quick pile of my books and rushed over to the checkout counter.

“Mrs. B?” I whispered hoarsely.

“Yes, Meghan?”

“Can you please hold onto these for me for tomorrow? Cassie and I have to get moving. I swear, I’ll be back.” She nodded, and couldn’t hide the pleased smile on her face. Cassie grabbed my arm and hauled me toward the door.

I kept my promise, and spent the week devouring the Sherlock novels one by one. Mrs. Brumacher even let me place her prized dictionary on the floor beside me, rather than run over when I needed to figure out a word. Cassie split her days. Part of the time she sprawled on the floor beside me, and painstakingly sketched copies of artistic works into her own notebook. The other part of the time she wandered in the garden outside the library and drew fairies.

It was in the midst of one of those Sherlock binge days that I first heard them. It sounded like the buzz of the overhead lights, at first. But closer, right over my shoulder. A harsh giggle, but no one was near.

A painful tug on my braid forced my head up, just as a book fell from the shelf. One sharp corner of the book grazed my cheek. Tears filled my eyes, and I put my hand up to feel a drop of blood pooling there. Just as I took a moment to gaze down at the book that was now in my lap, Cassie bolted over and shouted at me.

 “Megs, look! I drew a new one today!”

Whenever she came back inside from the sunlight, I could smell it on her. Not the grass, or the dirt that smudged the knees of her jeans; the actual sunlight itself. It always made me grin. This time, I could also smell the sharp tang of something else – something other. It wiped the grin back off my face.

She showed me the faerie drawing she made while on her garden ramble and I forced a smile. There was no doubt it was beautiful; each sketch was lovelier than the next. I just couldn’t shake the shivery feeling her pictures gave me.

“Oh, Meghan… you do believe me!” She tossed her arms around me and squeezed so hard I could barely breathe.

“What? What are you talking about, Cass?”

She pointed at the book that had fallen into my lap. The cover displayed a girl, about our age, and a small creature with wings. The Coming of the Fairies, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This was what had fallen – or been pushed – into my lap.

From that day on, whenever I went with her I could hear them. Hummingbird wing buzz and screechy high pitched voices that I couldn’t quite understand. They landed on my shoulders and yanked on my hair.

Whenever Cassandra asked me, “Can you see them now, Megs?” I gave the simplest answer I could handle,

“No.” 

It’s Monday – June 18th

Well, well, well – June is a little more than halfway done. This was my first (almost) full week of summer break. I had to go into my room on Monday, but I got to head home around noon. I spent a lot of time reading (and writing – thanks to Teachers Write!) this week.

Continued thanks to Teach Mentor Texts for hosting this each week. 

Newbery

I was lagging on the Newbery last week, but I snuck in a few this week. Before I go into that, here’s an interesting article for those of us that point out the racist/misogynist issues in these old (and some newer) books. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-to-read-a-racist-book-to-your-kids.html Many interesting points about the decisions we make about how we discuss these stereotypes and other items with the kids as we read books and watch movies with them.

Johnny Tremain – I’m a big fan of historical fiction, and I do like this book. Yes, Johnny is a bit of a jerk. I like him anyway. He starts out as a typically overconfident kid. He’s great, and he knows it. His life changes, and he learns and grows. I also know just enough American history to enjoy the story without knowing so much that I felt I needed to look for and nitpick errors in the tale.

Call It Courage – I detested this one in high school, but I didn’t hate it this time around.  Maybe I should go back and try Moby Dick again (naaahh)

The Matchlock Gun The story itself wasn't bad, or hard to read. Like some of the other reviewers, I thought it just overly simplified the Native Americans attacking the settlers. Now, I want to keep in mind the time period this story was written - and the fact that it was a retelling of a story of some real people (who probably DID oversimplify the Indians. I doubt they really thought of them as people who were being persecuted. They just saw the threat to their own families). With that said, I think the story might be a very valuable tool to teach critical thinking skills to students. Perhaps pairing this tale with some historical data that highlights that persection, and asking students to tell the story from the alternate perspective, would make this book a valuable resource?

SciFi Summer

I, Robot – Asimov. This is a reread for me, but it’s been a LONG time since I read it. I love it, and I’d highly recommend it to YA readers. It’s a collection of short stories about the history of robotics (in the future). The stories all fit together well, and the content has solid science. This was one of the books that I mentioned in my “classics to read” for Sci Fi summer.

Fahrenheit 451 – Okay, just started this one. It’s also a reread. Kathy (@thebrainlair) and I are doing this one as our next buddy book before moving into a recent Sci Fi.

Graphic Novels / Comics

Cow Boy  - by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulous. Wow, just wow! I picked this one up because they posted some of the content free online and I was hooked. Check out my full review on my blog from yesterday (or listen to it on the Kids Comic Revolution in July. http://comicsaregreat.com/) This was the first time I did an audio recording of a review, and I was nervous.

Babymouse: Burns Rubber – I’m trying to read through some Babymouse in preparation for the new book. I chose this one because I knew that there were Star Wars references. The Nerdy Book Club is doing a photo contest with the tag #Babymouse4Prez, and I wanted to do Star Wars themed photos. I’m pretty happy with the ones I created. Check them out here! http://www.flickr.com/photos/mselke/sets/72157630083582510/

Birds of Prey Volume 10: Club Kids  - Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t one for younger kids. Not that it’s too violent or adult, but it’s more Teen and up. I loved the stories, and I got my first peek at a few characters my friends have discussed in the past. Black Alice and Misfit were particularly intriguing. I adore Huntress, and she features heavily in several of the stories.

Justice League Dark: Volume 1 – I’m so excited that my comic reads can now “count” on Goodreads, since the trades have started to come out. With an ISBN comes the ability to check it off as “read”. I loved the first few issues of this comic, but it quickly got confusing to me. There are a ton of characters, and I don’t have the background knowledge to keep them all straight.

Non Fiction

The Plant Hunters – Anita Silvey. I don't have enough nonfiction on my shelves, and this is a perfect addition! Part adventure tale, part information about ecosystems and rare plants, this book is ALL awesome. Big thanks to Mr. Schu, as I won this book from him. I love Anita’s daily posts at the Children’s Book Almanac (http://childrensbookalmanac.com/) and this book impressed me even more.

Cow Boy review

“Justice ain’t got no age” is the perfect tag line for Cow Boy, a new all ages comic about a ten year old boy in the Wild West.  As the introductory page explains, “Boyd’s exploits ain’t for those with weak bellies and genteel dispositions..” Good thing I don’t know any kids like that! Written by Nate Cosby and illustrated by Chris Eliopoulos, and published by Archaia, Cow Boy will appeal to kids and adults alike.

The Cow Boy himself, Boyd, is introduced as he heads off to capture his first bounty, Dub Linney. As the storyline unfolds, we learn that each bounty on his list is actually a member of his family, and Dub is his father. Boyd’s sense of justice overrides any family ties, though, and his fierce independence requires him to take them in, one by one.

Boyd’s voice shines through from the very first line, “Bounty huntin’s simple. A man done wrong. You get that man.” I found myself reading his words out loud, just to hear him speaking. His voice was incredibly appealing to the two boys in my own house, and I’m excited to find out what my students think about it in the fall. The writing could also be a wonderful model for students on how dialect enhances character development, if teachers wanted to use a portion as a mentor text.

Boyd stands up for his beliefs, and he’s a charming little rogue while he does it. I heard echoes of some of my favorite scoundrels in many of his lines. Like Han Solo, he tosses down some coins and apologizes for the trouble he’s caused. With each story in the book, we get small glimpses into Boyd’s past. It’s clear his sense of fair play wasn’t inherited or taught at home. Kids will love his spunk and commitment to his ideals.

The art is a perfect match for the story. The simple lines, wonderful lettering, and slightly washed out colors gives it a rugged feel, and every picture feels like I’ve jumped into the old West. Even the end papers and the appearance of faded leather on the cover add to the overall experience of becoming a Wild West bounty hunter. The panels flow easily from one to the next; making it a graphic novel even a new fan of the format could follow with ease.

The book is labeled E for everyone, and recommended to kids second grade and up. While Boyd does carry what looks like a rifle in the shape of a ride on horse, he refers to it as a “pea shooter with a loud holler”, and none of the gun fights have casualties.

Nate and Chris took a huge risk and released most of the content for free online at Cowboycomic.net prior to publication. That content is still available for you to check out for yourself. Their hope was that people who read it would be hooked and want to own a copy. I’ll tell you what, it worked for me. I grabbed two copies, and had to fight my sons to get them back to read for this review. I can’t wait to bring it to my classroom in the fall, and I’m sure it won’t spend very much time on the shelves. Get your very own copy of Cow Boy, by Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos. 

Batty About Dragon Castle - Ending

Once again, welcome to Batty About Books. This week Kathy (aka @thebrainlair) and I are chatting about the ending of Dragon Castle by Bruchac. As always, my thoughts are in purple and Kathy's are in blue. Check out her blog - The Brain Lair - for her thoughts with my responses!


Please, chime in with your own thoughts and ponderings about the book or any questions we raise. 


Dragon Castle – Onward to the Ending!

Well, it turns out I was wrong about several of my guesses for the ending of the book. I’m okay with that, though. Thinking about what will happen makes me happy, and being proven wrong (as long as the real ending makes sense) is fun. It reminds me of the fact that over all the years of reading Agatha Christie novels, I only figured out the actual murderer once. I was incredibly proud of that one time, I’ll be honest.
Kathy: I always felt Agatha wasn’t meant to be figured out.  That particular style seemed to call for the author explaining all that you missed. That’s was one of the reasons I liked her writing.  I was glad to be proven wrong on Poteshenie (have I mentioned how much I dislike that name?). Overall, though, I was on the money. Not sure how I feel about that because sometimes predictability can be ok, it feels good to be validated. Not sure how I feel yet.

I continued to have mixed feelings about the book in this final segment. I’m going to go ahead and say that my overall score for it would be something between a 3 and 4 stars. I’m not sure what to put into Goodreads.
Kathy: I was going for a solid 3. The beginning was great, I think. But not sure if that was because I disliked the Mull book so much. Things seemed to go a little repetitive after that though. Not as much sparkly writing or character development. Still a good read, just not great.

First, let me say that I’m glad the dragon battle continued from the end of our last section. When it started off and he killed the first few heads so easily, I was greatly disappointed. The whole book has been leading up to the promise of a dragon, and it was “over too quickly” (Sorry, Princess Bride reference. Had to be done.) I was still wishing we’d had more from the dragon, at this point, though. The battle didn’t seem as powerful as I’d hoped it would be, though.
Kathy: AGREED! I mentioned that I felt it was “overkill”.  Instead of killing six of seven heads, maybe we could have had him struggle with one of the dragons.  He was all too smart expecting the next head and even the part about the tail. I would even have welcomed more of the dragon’s sense of humor.

There was also a bit too much “over-explaining” of things that didn’t really need it. Rashko spends an entire page bemoaning the fact that he dislikes “dark, tight spaces” (page 240) and then tells us that he has a light spell. Seriously? I didn’t need the whining about the darkness when he had a readily available solution! If I want to hear a character whine I’ll rewatch the first Star Wars movie and listen to Luke. I also thought that Raskho’s inner monologue explaining Pauleks’ behavior was overdone. (page 280) I know I’m not the target audience, though, so maybe a middle grade student would need and/or like this?
Kathy: HAHAHA! I literally busted out laughing over the Star Wars reference! We both question whether this works better for middle grades than adults. The vast difference between writing for middle grades and writing for young adults needs to be surmounted.  The MG books seem geared more for up to early 6th while the young adult books seem geared for late 7th or early 8th.  Is there really no actual middle ground? I haven’t done a 6th grade book club in years because it’s hard to get appropriate books towards the middle of the year.  I wonder if that’s a real issue or just in fantasy reads?

As for the big reveals at the end? I liked some of them and didn’t like others. While I liked the idea that Pavol and Karoline could each come back “through” two people instead of one, I don’t think that part was fleshed out enough earlier in the book to really satisfy me. Yes, I could tell that Paulek was more than he appeared… but it still just didn’t ring true. Maybe if Bruchac had incorporated some of Paulek’s perspective in the story? I don’t know. The juggler women were also sprung too late in the tale to really make me feel satisfied with their part of the story.
Kathy: GAH! Over way too fast and the things he should have explained left open. I thought we could have gone into detail over who those princesses were and why they felt the need to change their names.  Paulek was, by far, my favorite character. He was more fleshed out than Rashko yet we could have learned more about him. What aspects of Pavol did he embody besides being a good swordsman? How was he resisting Poteshenie’s and Temny’s power?

I liked watching the new castle rise after Pavol defeated the dragon. We already knew that part, but it was well told. I also enjoyed the sly power of the dragon Sedem as he assists in the final battle, though his assistance was also a bit anticlimactic. He just eats all the bad guys?

Hmm… going through my notes I’m realizing there were more dislikes than likes in this section. Here’s a big one for me – Teraz taunts Poteshenie with “a woman’s most mortal weakness” – reviling her appearance and clothing choices? Not cool, Bruchac. Not cool at all. Yes, he then has them fight alongside the men, but I would have been happier with another choice of taunt early on.
Kathy: Sedem had such a good sense of humor, you would have expected more quips from him to the bad guys. Also, shouldn’t there have been more bedlam from the appearance of a dragon?? Yeah, he blew the whole strong girl thing. He had them both rushing off with the Graces to take baths and get fresh clothes, too. Don’t men like to feel clean? Both those scenes were unnecessary. Also, Rashko was 15 and yet he felt totally comfortable around the lady he was interested in? I could see Paulek being that way as we knew he was interested in girls but I hadn’t seen that side of Rashko and was a little put off by it. Again, I felt too much of Bruchac’s voice coming through. It just read as much older to me.

Overall, I think it was a solid story that my students will enjoy, though. I don’t think the things that bothered me will impact their enjoyment as much. Maybe we should have chosen something other than Graceling as our first book! I’m not sure we’ll find another one we both adored as much as that one.
Kathy: Yes, I will definitely put this on the recommended fantasy read list. When I make one. :) I wonder if the different reading experiences lie in the level of the book? Is there an MG Scifi/Fantasy writer that does it as well as Cashore did in Graceling?


So, friends - what to do you think?